(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a telephone having a function to store information.
(2) Description of the Related Art
In recent years, communication devices providing a function called caller ID service have become wide spread. Such communication devices include: telephones connected to regular telephone lines; mobile phones; and PHS (Personal Handyphone System). The caller ID service function notifies a user of a caller's telephone number when the telephone receives an incoming call.
Such communication devices having the caller ID service are hereinafter referred to merely as telephones, for the sake of conveniences.
Each time a telephone receives an incoming call, this function provided in the telephone records the callers' telephone number in the call register. Such a function is convenient for telephone users in that if they fail to answer a call, they can ring back to the caller by referring to the call register.
However, a junk call called Wangiri in Japanese (hereinafter referred to as one-ring-call), which has become a matter of public concern, has been rampant recently. The one-ring-call is a telephony abusing the caller ID service. The caller of one-ring-call discontinues a call before a person on the other end answers the call. The purpose is to enter the one-ring caller's phone number in the call register of the target telephone. With this method, the one-ring caller can enter his/her phone number into the receiver's call register without paying a toll.
If the receiver originates a call to the one-ring caller by dialing the registered phone number, the call would be connected to a reception or guidance of a dating site or the like. This is a waste of money.
If a user, using a telephone connected to a regular telephone line, makes a call to the one-ring caller, the call may be connected to a service called Dial Q2 in which the caller is charged for being supplied with information from the Dial Q2 service. If this happens, the user has to pay the Dial Q2 service fee, as well as the regular toll.
Also, as shown in FIG. 8, such one-ring-calls may be made anytime day or night. For users who always set their telephones to a receivable mode providing for an emergency, such one-ring-calls would disturb their sweet sleep.
To avoid oneself from becoming a victim of one-ring-calls, the user may disregard the one-ring-calls, without making a call to the one-ring-callers. However, it is difficult to discern one-ring-calls among a lot of phone numbers recorded in the call register.
Also, when a telephone receives an incoming call while the user is at a great distance, the user, who does not know how many times the telephone rang, cannot determine whether the call was a one-ring-call or not.
As understood from the above description, it is difficult for conventional telephone users to avoid themselves from becoming victims of one-ring-calls.